Real Madrid Snatch Late Win at Espanyol on Mourinho's Return
- On Saturday, August 22, 2026, Real Madrid secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Espanyol at RCDE Stadium after substitute Carlos Espi scored the match-winning goal in the 90th minute.
- Manager Jose Mourinho returned to the club for his first game in over 13 years, tasked with revitalizing a squad that has gone two seasons without a trophy.
- Jude Bellingham headed home an early opener in the ninth minute from an Arda Guler cross, but Espanyol leveled the score at the half-hour mark through Alex Calatrava.
- Despite controlling 63% of possession, Real Madrid struggled to penetrate Espanyol's disciplined defense, which frustrated the visitors with 19 fouls throughout the 90 minutes.
- The win provides three points for Los Blancos to kick off the 2026-27 La Liga campaign, though the team appeared lost at times against the low block.
29 Articles
29 Articles
Real Madrid snatch late win at Espanyol on Mourinho's return
Jude Bellingham opened the scoring in Los Blancos' opening fixture of the season, and new signing Espi secured the points at the death after Alex Calatrava had levelled against Mourinho's star-studded team. "I think that we deserved to win but that Espanyol didn't deserve to lose," Mourinho told reporters. "They didn't have any players at the World Cup and have been working together for a long time, and you could see that." Back in charge of Mad…
The 21-year-old Spanish forward redeemed Real Madrid in the 90th minute, who found the winning goal 2-1 against Espanyol and entered La Liga with the right foot on Mourinho's return.
At the premiere of Mourinho, but also of Bernardo, Cucurella or Diomande, Real Madrid had to sweat a lot to win the Spanish — and may well thank Carlos Espí, who came in to decide (1-2).
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